# Let's name a Biden Cabinet **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 8, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040 "2020-11-08T05:34:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/101 "2020-11-23T07:34:02Z")
I’m not sure how removing a Democratic appointee from the DC Circuit would be a great burn on McConnell. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/102 "2020-11-23T12:43:30Z")
I would guess Doug Jones. He was an attorney who prosecuted KKK members and is available now! I like Tish James who is the New York state AG who has been suggested but she might rather remain in NY to carry out the ongoing investigations into Donald Trump at a state level which may not be encouraged at a federal level. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/103 "2020-11-23T14:02:41Z")
**Merged into existing thread**. Cabinet & Attorney General being discussed here. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/104 "2020-11-23T15:50:54Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Who should Biden choose as his Attorney General? > > I’ve seen Merrick Garland suggested. That would be a great burn on McConnell. But he comes with baggage, not of his own making: If he were to prosecute Trump or any of his cohorts aggressively, he would be immediately open to accusations of “settling scores”. > > Perhaps Preet Bharara would also be a good choice. Bharara might also be seen as someone who wants to settle some scores. I think Garland or Bharara would be good, but I don’t expect either. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/105 "2020-11-23T17:28:42Z")
Some more info, the WaPo was reporting that Alejandro Mayorkas is leading DHS, Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, and John Kerry as special Presidential envoy for climate (Climate Czar). ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/106 "2020-11-23T17:52:15Z")
I like the idea of John Kerry, an international statesman, bringing nations together to combat climate change. We need India and China to drastically improve their standards. A former Secretary of State who knows these world leaders makes sense on that note because he’s not going to be ignored or left with the B team delegations to work alongside. Creating a position like is probably going to create paranoia on the right that Biden will indeed create a job for a gun control czar. I’ve seen some facebook rantings about Beto O’Rourke being put in charge. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/107 "2020-11-23T19:13:42Z")
I’m very disappointed that both Biden’s choice for State and Defense are war hawks that love war. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/108 "2020-11-23T19:20:13Z")
I don’t believe he’s rolled anyone out for Defense yet. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/109 "2020-11-23T19:22:10Z")
And I don’t know any national Democrats who _love_ war - although there are certainly some who are more willing than others to consider the use of military force in the national interest. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/110 "2020-11-23T19:27:05Z")
Besides, Blinken seems to be very similar in terms of use of force as Biden - consider Blinken has been Biden’s long term chief foreign policy advisor, that’s not a surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/111 "2020-11-23T19:39:14Z")
Biden was more dovish in the last administration. It spawned the attack by Trump that Bin Laden would be alive now if Biden had the final word because Biden by his own admission wasn’t confident there was enough intelligence to conduct the raid. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/112 "2020-11-23T20:45:34Z")
[Janet Yellen to be Treasury Secretary.](https://thehill.com/policy/finance/527226-biden-to-nominate-janet-yellen-as-treasury-secretary-report) ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/113 "2020-11-23T21:24:01Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Besides, Blinken seems to be very similar in terms of use of force as Biden - consider Blinken has been Biden’s long term chief foreign policy advisor, that’s not a surprise. Blinken called for bombing Libya and invading Syria. So did Flournoy. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/114 "2020-11-23T22:01:53Z")
As more of his appointments start rolling out, the contrast with Trump couldn’t be clearer. Unsurprisingly, Biden is prioritizing deeply knowledgeable insiders with decades of experience working with and for the departments and agencies they will oversee. These are all people who will be ready on day one to take control of their bureaucracies and clean up the wreckage Trump leaves while enacting Biden’s agenda. And as an added plus, these appointments will confirm the wildest fever dreams of the QAnon conspiracy theorists about deep state control of the U.S. government. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/115 "2020-11-23T22:50:12Z")
While these picks are impressive their experience intelligence, i hope Biden doesn’t overlook some “next generation” political leaders as he fleshes out cabinet (Buttigieg, Booker, Duckworth, Garcetti, etc). ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/116 "2020-11-24T00:51:29Z")
Yellen is a great choice both because she’s a great choice and because there is no conceivable grounds not to swiftly confirm her. So McConnell will either have to allow the vote swiftly, or admit from day one he’s being deliberately obstructionist. He can’t waffle about, “well, we’d approve a respectable candidate, but not that wold eyed radical one” about Yellen. Of course, this didn’t work with Garland. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/117 "2020-11-24T00:55:12Z")
Yellen’s a great pick - outstanding. He will need someone who knows their shit in the Treasury post. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/118 "2020-11-24T00:57:21Z")
I don’t see anyone who loves war, but I see people who understand we have major international commitments and can’t just leave because Michael Moore is coming out with a new movie. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/119 "2020-11-24T02:12:12Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Avril Haines as director of national intelligence Not that it’s here nor there, but we knew each other in college (back when the Dope was the best thing about the Chicago Reader), and our fathers were colleagues. Very nice, humble, intelligent person. And looks the same as she did 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/120 "2020-11-24T06:35:44Z")
I am meh on Yellen. I remember the debate about raising interest rates in 2015 and I found the arguments by Krugman and others against quite persuasive. Yellen raised them anyway and it turned out to be a mistake as the economy remained sluggish in 2016 (perhaps contributing to Trump’s win that year). I believe Lael Brainard, another contender for Treasury, opposed the rate hike. Yellen also doesn’t seem to have much experience on trade issues which is going to be a huge part of what the Treasury Sec does. Brainard who was Under Sec for International Affairs under Obama would again seemed to have been a better pick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040.md?page=7)